The "Dune" - an oasis of peace

The secret "jewel" of Heligoland is the bathing dune, a small island located about one kilometer away from the main island. 1,000 meters long and approx. 700 meters wide, the Dune offers its visitors about 130,000 square meters of the finest sandy beaches. Mostly untouched by the day trip tourism, the Dune is a paradise for sun seekers, fossil and shell collectors, travellers looking for direct contact with nature and last but not least for a large population of seals and harbour seals relaxing in the soft sand.

Beautiful beaches

Two beautiful wide and white sandy beaches make the Dune a paradise for bathing in the sun as well as in the sea. When the weather is fine you'll almost have a caribbean feeling with turquoise waters, fine white sand and blue sky all around. Enjoy sunbathing, swimming, relaxing or playing in the sun. The South Beach with its shallow and calm water is a preferred spot for families with children. The North Beach is a litte rougher, with foaming surge. Here, you decide for yourself whether you want to wear any clothes at all ...

Seals and harbour seals

On some days you can find more than 300 seals and harbour seals lying on the shores of the Dune. they might seem cute, but are in fact predators with sharp teeth and occasionally bad temper, so while it is fun to watch them please keep at least a respectful 30 m distance.

There are distinctive differences between seals and harbour seals. The harbour seal has a short, round face, while the seals have a noticeably longer snout. While seals lie on the sand more or less flatly, harbour seals have a banana shape with head and tail raised up.

Natural history excursion

The natural history association "Jordsand" offers guided natural history excursions on the Dune several times a day. On those 1 hour tours, you'll learn a lot about plant and animal life on the small island. we highly recommend these excursions.

You can buy tickets for these tours in the lobster shack of the Jordsand Association in the south harbour on Heligoland. The fee of 8.00 € includes the ticket for the ferry boat to the Dune.

Our tip: Dune ferry

To get to the Dune from the main island, you have to embark on the small Dune ferry boat. The ferry leaves from the pier or the Northeast Harbour depending on weather conditions.